Environmental campaigners say we should resist the shopping frenzy this Black Friday for the sake of the planet.
Tomorrow (Friday 25 November), retail giants like Amazon will be slashing their prices in an attempt to boost their sales – but campaigners are asking people to consider the costs to the environment before they make unnecessary purchases this year.
Surveys have shown that huge numbers of people regret the purchases that are made in the rush of the sales, and that they find it a stressful experience. Smaller retailers with more sustainable, local, personal services find they can’t compete with the artificially low prices of retail giants. Last year, 85% of independent retailers opted out of Black Friday.
Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “Changing our culture of consumption is an essential part of tackling the climate crisis. Saying no to phoney Black Friday deals is an important way in which we, as more informed consumers, can take back power.
“Big retailers pressurise people to buy more in an effort to boost their sales. This drive towards consuming more means that even more resources are extracted from nature, generating climate-wrecking emissions.
“To really tackle over-consumption, governments need to hold big business to account. The Scottish Government is bringing in a circular economy law next year which must force producers and retailers to accept responsibility for their planet destroying single-use products, and to make reuse and recycling cheaper and easier for people.”
The Scottish Government consulted on a new circular economy law earlier this year. A draft of the bill is expected in early 2023. Scotland’s material use is more than double the sustainable limit, and 82% of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from the products and services we buy.
Roadmap to ‘fair, green prosperity for communities and regions’
Improvements to health, tackling child poverty and reaching climate goals are at the heart of a toolkit to support local economies to be fairer, greener, healthier and more resilient.
The Wellbeing Economy Toolkit: Supporting place-based economic strategy and policy development enables local authorities to identify and measure local wellbeing metrics including health, child poverty, levels of greenhouse gas emissions and fair work, and prioritise investments and policies to improve them.
This will include:
the creation of more high quality, sustainable local jobs by using more local and regional procurement contracts
improved transport links to help people access services and work
better access to the natural environment, which leads to better mental and physical health
The Constitution Secretary announced the toolkit at the Wealth of Nations 2.0 conference at the University of Glasgow. He was joined by representatives from fellow Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo) of Finland and Wales to take questions from young people, five years on from the first conversations to establish the network.
Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The need for a new economic model has never been clearer, and that’s why I think the wellbeing economy approach is gaining so much interest, both here, and around the world.
“We see that in the growth of WEGo – the network of wellbeing economy governments – which began as a coalition of Scotland, Iceland and New Zealand. Since this event was last held in 2020, two more governments – Finland and Wales – have joined, and other countries including Canada are showing a growing interest.
“Creating a wellbeing economy remains a defining mission for the Scottish Government, and it is my firm belief that Scotland could use the powers of independence to achieve that aim more fully.
“Building a wellbeing economy is a huge challenge for any country, at any time. The current crises we are facing make it harder, but they also underline why we need to make this transformation as a matter of urgency.”
Jimmy Paul, Director of Wellbeing Economy Alliance Scotland, said: “This practical new toolkit will be an invaluable resource for developing local economic strategies that really work for communities.
“Amidst the cost of living and climate crises, it’s never been more important that economic approaches start with the goal of ensuring we all have what we need to live good lives and protect the health of our natural world, rather than continuing to centre outdated metrics like GDP growth. The toolkit could provide a step-change in the way local economic strategies are delivered in Scotland.”
Mikoko Pamoja harnesses the ‘unsung heroes’ of the fight against climate change
The world’s first community-led mangrove conservation and restoration project supported through carbon credits is marking 10 years since it began on the south coast of Kenya.
Mikoko Pamoja, which translates as ‘mangroves together’, was set up in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute. It is run by a democratically elected committee.
It manages 117 hectares of mangrove forests in Gazi Bay, which support the livelihoods of local people by protecting the shoreline, supplying fuel, wood and fish and offering a habitat for wildlife.
Mangrove trees are of global importance as they are such powerful natural carbon sinks, storing around five times more carbon per hectare than other forests. The capture and storage of carbon in this way is sold on the global markets as carbon credits.
Over the last decade, the protection and replanting of mangrove trees through Mikoko Pamoja has avoided deforestation and saved more than 14,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, selling carbon credits has raised $119,000 for conservation and local development projects such as sanitation and education in the local villages of Gazi and Makongeni – funding new wells, school rooms, sports facilities and books.
Edinburgh Napier University Professor Mark Huxham, who co-founded the project, said: “Mikoko Pamoja shows how communities, scientists and governments can work together to make a difference to conservation and to improve lives.
“Conserving our natural carbon sinks, such as mangrove forests, is essential if we are to overcome the climate emergency.
“When controlled by local people, and meeting high scientific standards, money from the carbon market provides one way to help achieve this.”
The 10-year milestone comes as the COP27 environmental conference concludes in Egypt. Representatives of Mikoko Pamoja addressed delegates during last year’s event in Glasgow.
The project was recently visited by ITV News as part of its COP27 coverage – with the report describing mangroves as the ‘unsung heroes’ of the climate crisis.
It has been supported and managed by Scottish Charity the Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services, which works closely with Edinburgh Napier University.
In 2019 the charity went on to launch the Vanga Blue Forest project, following the success of Mikoko Pamoja – taking a similar model to a larger scale.
The UN climate summit COP27 came to a close today (20/11/22), with a historic win on Loss and Damage but with staggering hypocrisy from the UK, EU and UK on fossil fuels, according to environmental campaigners.
On the Loss and Damage fund victory, Friends of the Earth Scotland head of campaigns Mary Church said: “Securing a Loss and Damage fund is a huge victory for global South countries who stood strong and united in the face of dirty tricks by the rich historical polluters who are resisting taking responsibility for the crisis they caused.
“Whether these global North countries will actually stump up the money needed to resource the fund is another question, given their abject failure to deliver on other longstanding finance commitments.
“Civil society played a vital role in their advocacy and solidarity with global South countries on this all important issue, leaving the US, EU and UK with no cover for their diversionary tactics. People power matters, we can and must keep fighting for the better world we know is possible, because world leaders aren’t going to make it without us.”
India initiated a call for language to be included on the ‘equitable phase down all fossil fuels’, not just coal, and the issue generated significant attention during the last days of the summit – but the Sharm El-Sheikh Implementation Plan simply repeats the text from last year’s Glasgow Climate Pact on the ‘phase down of unabated coal’, letting global North countries who tend to be less reliant on coal off the hook, and with the massive loophole that ‘unabated’ brings in allowing coal projects that are ‘carbon capture and storage ready’.
In their speeches to the closing plenary this morning, the UK, US and EU devoted substantial time to ‘calling out’ the lack of progress on fossil fuel phase out in the text, despite their own fossil fuel expansion plans.
Church continued: “The hypocrisy we witnessed at these climate talks from rich historical polluters on the issue of fossil fuel phase out is staggering. There is nothing to stop countries from phasing out fossil fuels, and yet the UK and the US in particular are doing the opposite with their vast expansion plans.
“Alok Sharma must take his table thumping on fossil fuel phase out back home and demand the UK Government overturn their climate trashing plans for North Sea oil and gas expansion and to reject the new coal mine planned in Cumbria.
“The Scottish Government too must turn its climate leadership on the international stage into concrete actions at home to get back on track to meeting its climate targets. It must clarify its position on oil and gas and set an end date for fossil fuels within this decade in order to have any chance of delivering on our fair share of climate action.”
As the climate summit closes, British prisoner of conscience Alaa Abd El-Fattah’s release has still not been secured and his situation remains extremely precarious.
Church continued: “There can be no climate justice without human rights, and we stand in solidarity with British citizen Alaa And-El Fattah and all prisoners of conscience.
“The UK Government has failed to use its abundant leverage with the Egyptian Government to secure Alaa’s release. The spotlight must not move on when COP27 is over. We will not forget you.”
Commenting on the conclusion of COP27 in Egypt, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:
“COP27 has finally seen an acknowledgement by developed countries that the people least responsible for global warming are the ones suffering its worst consequences and that we have an obligation to support those experiencing the impacts of the climate crisis in the here and now.
“The agreement to establish a fund for loss and damage is truly groundbreaking and is a testament to 30 years of hard campaigning by the global south and civil society. I am pleased that Scotland, in being the first developed country ever to make a financial contribution, has been able to play a small part in that journey working with others over the last twelve months to build the momentum that has led to today’s decision.
“There remains a lot of detail to be worked out over the next year ahead of COP28, but from the inclusion of loss and damage on the agenda, to the agreement to establish a fund, this COP has delivered a real breakthrough for vulnerable and developing countries.
“It is deeply disappointing that the recognition of loss and damage has not been matched by greater action to prevent a worsening of the climate crisis. Keeping 1.5 alive and delivering the fastest possible transition away from fossil fuels is key to preventing greater loss and damage in the future.
“Alongside loss and damage we needed to see progress on adaptation and mitigation, on the submission of new national contributions, a pathway to 2030 and a strengthening of the language of the Glasgow Pact.
“It is simply not good enough that countries failed to make progress on that agenda, and that there has been such a strong push back on action we all know is needed if 1.5 is to remain truly within reach. It is vitally important that countries recommit themselves to doing everything they can to ensure we keep 1.5 alive and to building a coalition ahead of COP28 that protects and drives progress against any further push back.
“Despite that disappointment, and the challenges faced by civil society in having their voice heard in Egypt, the breakthrough on loss and damage is what I hope COP27 will be remembered for, and that is a vital step forward for the developing world.”
As the UN Climate Conference, COP27, draws to a close in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, many of the most continuous issues remain unresolved, or will be delayed to a future summit.
The negotiations, which were due to close yesterday, have now to run into overtime.
Friends of the Earth Scotland head of campaigns Mary Church said: “As we race towards climate breakdown, once again we are seeing rich countries trying to evade their responsibility to step up and do their fair share of climate action.
“As extreme weather events wreak havoc around the world, the UK and US are parroting the mantra of keeping 1.5°C alive while doing exactly the opposite by continuing to expand damaging fossil fuel projects. They are failing to stump up the climate finance they owe and which Global South countries need to adapt to and recover from the impacts of global heating.
“Big polluters who brought the climate to the brink of breakdown are cynically bargaining away the future of people and planet in order to eek out a few extra years of profits from business-as-usual, by pushing dangerous fantasy techno-fixes and human rights trashing nature-fixes.
“Nothing short of a complete transformation of our economic system and phase out of fossil fuels is needed to avoid complete climate breakdown.
World leaders lack the political will to take the necessary action, but people everywhere are rising up and fighting dirty energy projects and putting in place the real, community based solutions which can deliver climate justice.
“There can be no climate justice without human rights, and we stand in solidarity with British citizen Alaa And-El Fattah and all prisoners of conscience. The UK Government has failed to use its abundant leverage with the Egyptian Government to secure Alaa’s release.
“The spotlight must not move on when COP27 is over. We will not forget you.”
Analysis of what has happened in the COP27 negotiations :
LOSS & DAMAGE
• Global South countries have made finance for Loss and Damage, or the now unavoidable impacts of climate change, a top priority at COP27, as extreme weather events, exacerbated by global heating, wreak havoc around the world.
• Rich, historical polluters are pitting calls for urgently needed Loss and Damage finance against meeting the critical 1.5°C target, and attempting to strip the Paris Agreement goal of an equitable approach that would see Global North countries required to do their fair share of emissions cuts and finance.
• Global North countries are trying to split the G77 & China negotiating bloc, which has held strong on its demands for a Loss and Damage finance facility to be established at this COP.
Northern countries are pushing insurance schemes (the USA and Germany in particular) and a fund that would be open to fewer countries and rely on from a wider donor base than just Global North countries (Thursday evening’s proposal from the EU which is supported by many Global North countries).
• Announcements of Loss & Damage funding by Global North countries during COP27 have attracted attention and given the impression of movement on this intractable issue. However analysis shows that most of the pledges are simply repackaging of existing climate finance commitments and are directed towards early warning systems and the Global Shield insurance scheme championed by Germany, rather than badly needed public funding in response to both disasters and slow onset loss and damage, including those of a non-economic nature. This has led to accusations of ‘Loss and Damage washing’.
CARBON MARKETS & CARBON REMOVALS
• Meanwhile the question of whether dangerous emissions avoidance and removals schemes would be counted towards mitigation efforts under plans for carbon markets is likely to be delayed to future summits. The highly controversial issue of whether carbon markets would be allowed under the Paris Agreement was settled last year in Glasgow, however substantial issues remain unresolved.
Carbon markets allow polluters to continue emitting greenhouse gases, for a price, either through trading or offsetting (paying someone else to cut their emissions). With no top-down, science or justice based targets in the Paris Agreement carbon markets are simply unworkable and a major distraction from real solutions to cutting emissions.
FOSSIL FUEL PHASE OUT
• Horse trading in the final hours may result in the phase down or out of all fossil fuels being cited in the President’s cover decision (the equivalent of the Glasgow Pact), which would be progress on last year’s decision to phase down coal only. However the likely caveat of ‘unabated’, which allows for fossil fuels to go ahead with only the promise that e.g. they will be ‘carbon capture and storage ready’ would seriously temper this win.
The US has the second biggest fossil fuel expansion plans in the world (after Saudi Arabia), while the UK is pushing a new licensing round that could see a hundred new licences for North Sea oil and gas extraction issued.
HUMAN RIGHTS
• COP27 has been held against the backdrop of shrinking civil society space globally, and the Egyptian Government’s highly repressive regime which has arbitrarily detained and tortured thousands.
Climate justice groups have been vocal in their solidarity with Egyptian prisoners of conscience including high profile hunger striker, British citizen Alaa Abd El-Fattah. The UK Government has failed to prioritise securing Alaa’s release, and he remains in a highly precarious situation.
More than 200 prominent individuals – including actors Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Steve Coogan, and Dame Joanna Lumley – have united through an international open letter to call on world leaders at the COP27 climate conference to end factory farming and transform our global food system.
The letter – organised by Compassion in World Farming as part of its new End of the Line for Factory Farming global campaign – highlights the urgent need to transform our global food system and calls on world leaders to support and deliver a global agreement on food and farming at the United Nations General Assembly. It is being released on Solutions Day at the conference.
208 peoplefrom around the world have signed the letter, including:
Hollywood actors Brian Cox, Alan Cumming,Steve Coogan and Eva Green
British TV personalities Chris Packham, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Dr Amir Khan GP and actors Dame Joanna Lumley, Kate Ford,Peter Egan and Miriam Margolyes.
Award-winning authors Michael Morpurgo, and Barbara Kingsolver
Religious leaders Bishop John Arnold, Bishop of Salford, Chair of CAFOD and Rabbi David Rosen CBE, International President, The World Conference on Religion and Peace
Eminent experts Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, Founder – the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace; Frans B. M. de Waal, Ph. D., C. H. Candler Professor Emeritus, Primate Behaviour, Emory University; Peter Singer, AC Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics Princeton University; Carl Safina, PHD, President, The Safina Center, Endowed Professor for Nature and Humanity, Stony Brook University
Business leaders Dale Vince OBE, owner, green electricity company Ecotricity; Julian Richer, business owner
The letter states: “If the global community is to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement targets and the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity, action must be taken now to end industrial animal farming.
“From pollution to the climate crisis and wildlife extinctions. From animal cruelty to human hunger and malnutrition. Take a closer look at almost any global challenge, and you’ll find food at its core. A system based on overproduction and unhealthy food is propped up by intensive farming methods.
“The livestock sector produces more greenhouse gases than the direct emissions of all the world’s planes, trains and cars combined. Without urgent action, intensive animal agriculture threatens our very survival. We need a food transformation. Our people, animals and planet cannot wait any longer.”
End of the Line for Factory Farming is the new global movement dedicated to ending this cruel and unnecessary practice.
Launched this week by Compassion in World Farming with partner NGOs from all over the world, the campaign aims to get a global agreement to end factory farming and transform our global food system so that it benefits people, animals and the planet.
New YouGov research released by Compassion this week shows that almost two thirds of people (63%) in 13 countries polled believe factory farming puts profits ahead of climate and environment.
Stage, TV and film actor, Alan Cumming OBE FRSE, known for roles in The Good Wife and X2:X-Men United, said: “The amount of human edible food we produce just to feed the animals we slaughter for meat is beyond wasteful – especially when millions of people around the world go hungry every day. q
“We need a food system that is fair, kind and sustainable. That’s why I’m supporting Compassion in World Farming’s End of the Line for Factory Farming campaign – to help change this broken system once and for all.”
Dr Nick Palmer, Head of Compassion in World Farming UK, said: “This is the first campaign action from the new End of the Line for Factory Farming global movement dedicated to ending this cruel and unnecessary practice as it’s causing a climate and nature emergency – one third of global warming is driven by food production and consumption.
“Our open letter, released on Solutions Day at COP27, sends a clear message to world leaders highlighting the urgent need for action. It’s quite simple – without ending factory farming and transforming our food system, it will be impossible to meet climate targets. What’s needed is for world leaders to put forward a global agreement that meets our climate and SDG commitments before it’s too late.”
For more information about the campaign visit END.IT
98% of Scotland’s bathing waters pass environmental standards:
38 (44%) of bathing waters will be rated ‘excellent’ for 2023 – the highest since tighter standards first came into force in 2015.47 (54%) will achieve ‘good’ or ‘sufficient’ status for 2023
Two (2%) will have ‘poor’ status for 2023
Previous projects to improve water quality are now showing sustained improvements across Scotland
Ayr (South Beach) maintains ‘good’ status following significant improvements over many years.
Management plans at Dhoon Bay improved water quality in 2022.
Projects are in development for the two ‘poor’ Fife beaches to improve water quality
Farmers and land managers have continued to show good compliance with environmental regulations.
Targeted investments by Scottish Water have helped to reduce risks and improve water quality.
Scotland’s bathing water quality continues to improve with 38 out of 87 (44%) rated as ‘excellent’ for 2023. This is the highest number ever and highlights sustained improvements in bathing water quality, achieved through partnership projects.
Overall bathing water quality has seen ongoing improvements since 2015, when tighter standards first came into force. For next season, 85 sites will meet or exceed the sufficient classification.
Since 2015, 15 bathing waters have improved their classification from ‘poor’ to ‘sufficient’ or better. This is testament to the on-going partnership working taking place to drive forward water quality in Scotland. Whilst next year two bathing waters will have a ‘poor’ classification, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) intends to drive the same improvements that have successfully been achieved at other sites.
Scotland’s results(*):
2022/23
2021/22
2020/21
2019/20
2018/19
2017/18
2016/17
2015/16
Excellent
38 (44%)
32 (38%)
Results carried over
29 (34%
28 (32%)
25 (29%)
26 (31%)
17 (20%)
Good
35 (40%)
35 (41%)
31 (36%)
35 (41%)
34 (40%)
36 (43%)
38 (45%)
Sufficient
12 (14%)
17 (20%)
20 (24%)
13 (15%)
16 (19%)
11 (13%)
12 (14%)
Poor
2 (2%)
1 (1%)
5 (6%)
10 (12%)
11 (13%)
11 (13%)
17 (20%)
Total
87
85
85
86
86
84
84
Sources of pollution at Scotland’s bathing waters are often complex and interlinked, requiring action from a range of organisations and people. Progress is being made through working with partners and communities to coordinate activities and identify actions to address water quality challenges, particularly around diffuse pollution, sewage and urban sources.
One of Scotland’s most popular visitor areas, Ayr (South Beach), will maintain its ‘good’ status, achieved in 2021/22, following targeted improvement actions to reduce pollution. The status of the water quality is the result of several years of partnership working between SEPA, Ayrshire livestock farmers and Scottish Water, supported by South Ayrshire Council and the Scottish Government. These improvements were significant and there is good confidence that a similar classification should be maintained in future years.
Dhoon Bay has achieved ‘sufficient’ status for 2023. Rated ‘poor’ for the last four years, the improved water quality is a result of targeted action. This involved partnership working between the local community and tourism businesses, Scottish Water, and the local authority and focused on improvements to the treatment of private sewage as well as reducing run-off from agricultural land.
The Scottish Government provided funding to address inputs from private sewage treatment systems. This work is ongoing.
Other long-term projects
At Sandyhills, in Dumfries and Galloway, SEPA worked with farmers and NFU Scotland to tackle issues related to diffuse pollution, leading to sustained improvements to water quality. Having previously been rated ‘poor’, Sandyhills has achieved two successive ‘good’ classifications and will be rated ‘good’ again in 2023.
Heads of Ayr in Ayrshire has achieved an ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ classification in the last two seasons, following ‘poor’ classifications in previous years. It will maintain its ‘good’ again in 2023. It has seen investment in sewage treatment, surface water drainage and farms complying with requirements. This has resulted in significant water quality improvement.
The Nairn Central and Nairn East bathing waters will be rated ‘good’ for 2023. These sites have had consistent ratings since passing in 2018. Having been a priority project, progress was made through working with partners and communities to coordinate activities and identify actions to address water quality challenges, particularly around diffuse pollution, sewage and urban sources.
Luss Bay will be ‘sufficient’ for the 2023 bathing season and improvements in the water quality in what is a very popular area for visitors will be taken forward by SEPA with partner organisations including Argyll & Bute Council, the Luss Estate, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, Scottish Water, local businesses and residents.
Scotland had two newly designated Bathing Waters in 2022.
Barassie in Ayrshire achieved a ‘sufficient’ classification, while Lower Largo, in Fife, will be rated as ‘poor’ for the 2023 bathing season. A Scottish Water project at Lower Largo has been assessing potential sources of pollution into local burns, including testing for misconnections in nearby properties. SEPA will continue to monitor and report water quality and determine how best to drive water quality improvements over the next few years.
Kinghorn (Harbour Beach) will be rated as ‘poor’ for 2023, following ‘sufficient’ classifications in 2019 and 2021. SEPA is carrying out investigations and further monitoring is planned. SEPA will work with partners to identify and resolve issues.
Ruth Stidson, SEPA’s Principal Scientist for Bathing Waters, said: “Seeing the long-term bathing water quality improvements reflected in this year’s results demonstrates that the sustained hard work by public bodies, private businesses and communities has made a real improvement across Scotland.
“More of our bathing waters will be rated ‘excellent’ than ever before and, overall, 98% are meeting strict environmental standards. We have the largest number of designated bathing waters on record which is good news for the increasing popularity of wild swimming and the communities, businesses and visitors who enjoy our coastlines.
“This has demonstrated the success of driving improvements in water quality through targeted regulation and partnership working. SEPA will continue to work to protect and improve water quality across Scotland with a range of stakeholders, including local authorities, public bodies, farmers and local communities and businesses. We will use our expertise to provide advice and guidance, recommend actions and – when it is appropriate to do so – take robust enforcement action.”
Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said: “Scotland’s bathing waters are not only important to our environment, they provide spaces for recreation and contribute to good health and well-being. That’s why it’s so great to see more bathing waters across the country rated excellent than ever before.
“The number of bathing waters in Scotland has increased since last year and now stands at 87, with 98% achieving the bathing water quality standards.
“By investing in improving bathing waters across Scotland, we have made sure many more people – tourists and locals alike – can continue to enjoy them, which is good for our communities and our local economies.”
Simon Parsons, Director of Strategic Customer Service Planning, Scottish Water, said:“Scottish Water is committed to continuing to support the protection and improvement of Scotland’s rivers, coastal waters and beaches.
“Last December, we published our improving urban waters route map announcing plans to invest up to half a billion pounds more in Scotland’s waste water network to deliver further improvements and ensure that Scotland’s rivers, beaches and urban waters are free from sewage related debris.
“Our customers can play a huge part in preventing debris in rivers and on beaches. Our national campaign ‘Nature Calls’ urges customers not to flush wet wipes (and other items) down the toilet and we are calling for a complete ban on the sale of wet wipes containing plastic.”
Working with farmers to improve Scotland’s rivers
SEPA has been working alongside NFU Scotland over a number of years to help farmers and rural land managers across Scotland reduce diffuse pollution.
This has been an issue affecting both Ayrshire and Rockcliffe bathing water catchments. In the Ayr (South Beach) bathing water catchment there are only a handful of farms SEPA is still working with to achieve compliance.
All others are fully compliant, with many adopting new practices and spending significant sums of money to improve slurry storage, fence off water courses and install alternative water supplies for livestock.
Around £50 million has been spent on improvements in Ayrshire’s Bathing waters, through self-funding and grants from Scottish Government, and in many cases, farmers have gone even further than is legally required to help protect Scotland’s water environment from farming activities.
In 2022, SEPA issued a farmer with a £600 fixed monetary penalty for a failure to comply with or contravene a General Binding rule. The farmer, who had previously been compliant, failed to prevent significant erosion or poaching of land within 5m of the Corraford Burn, which is within the Dhoon catchment.
Bathing water quality monitoring and prediction
Scotland has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but also experiences some of the wettest weather in Europe. Heavy rain can have an impact on water quality at bathing waters due to pollutants being washed into rivers from sewage treatment systems, roads and pavements.
Scotland’s official bathing water season runs between 1 June and 15 September. Throughout the season, SEPA’s specialist teams sample the designated waters providing regular water quality information which is published on the SEPA website. Pre-season sampling is carried out during May.
Monitoring water quality in this way means SEPA can provide information on water quality for bathing and develop a strategy for any water quality improvements needed.
Electronic messaging signs, at selected bathing waters across Scotland, provide real-time predictions of water quality during the season.
On 10/11/22, at a students union general meeting, the Plant-Based Universities campaign put forward a motion for their facilities to transition to 100% plant-based catering by 2025, with 50% of the options being so by the 2023-24 academic year.
A majority of the, around 100, attendees voted in favour of the motion that will affect the 3 outlets operated by the union.
The vote is a landmark victory for the Plant-Based Universities campaign, which was announced in November 2021.
George Monbiot has spoken out about the vote, in a comment given to Plant-Based Universities.
Students at The University of Stirling have voted to embrace a completely plant-based menu to address the climate and ecological emergencies. The decision represents the first of its kind in the UK, following similar commitments by universities in Germany.
George Monbiot, the climate and animal justice writer and author of ‘Regenesis’, said: “It’s fantastic to see the next generation taking control of their future and putting humans, nonhuman animals and the planet first. The Plant-Based Universities campaigners at The University of Stirling are leading the way in tackling the climate crisis and creating a sustainable food system”
In 2018, comprehensive research from the University of Oxford showed that 76% of the land currently used for food production would be freed-up by a global transition to plant-based production.
This land could be rewilded and begin carbon drawdown, mitigating the worst impacts of climate breakdown. A 2019 Harvard University report on UK farmland and food production from Helen Harwatt and Matthew N. Hayek also concluded that the UK would be carbon-negative if it completely transitioned to a plant-based food system.
Imogen Robertson, 21, one of the campaigners at Stirling said: ““This vote is a clear sign that young people are willing to take decisive action on the climate and ecological emergencies.
“We will be working with catering staff to ensure this vote is implemented in a way that provides cheap, delicious, planet-saving options throughout our Student’s Union.
“We are delighted that our fellow students have decided to follow the scientific advice from world-leading academics and step into a brighter future. We hope this sparks a wave of bold action across UK universities to commit to just and sustainable plant-based catering”
The Plant-Based Universities campaign is a nationwide initiative of students who are pushing for their universities and student unions to adopt 100% plant-based catering.
The group claims that universities have an obligation to follow the scientific research that they produce, detailing the environmental impacts of animal farming and fishing. The campaign is active in over 40 institutions, with the group encouraging interested students to sign up to run local campaigns.
The Plant-Based Universities campaign is supported by the well-known animal and climate justice group Animal Rebellion.
Also supporting the initiative, wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham said on Twitter: “Young people doing it for themselves – this is good from @RebelsAnimal and @plantbasedunis
A new initiative from UK-based charity CleanupUK has launched, offering communities access to free litter-picking equipment to protect their local environment from the impact of litter and to connect communities.
CleanupUK has established litter-picking hubs to mitigate the effects of litter on neighbourhoods and local wildlife in the UK whilst tackling loneliness and isolation that can take place during the winter months.
The Cleanup Hubs have been developed in partnership with local community groups such as youth centres, Councils for Voluntary Services (CVS), city farms, and a local mental health charity. Through collaboration and collective action, these organisations are coming together to serve the local community and to help foster a sense of pride in otherwise challenging times.
CleanupUK will offer litter-picking equipment including high-vis jackets, litter-picking hoops, and litter-picking sticks to local hubs which can be borrowed free of charge by the local community.
CleanupUK and partnering organisations believe that this will:
Support communities to look after their natural environment in a way that suits them
Give communities a place where they can come together and take practical action for the environment
Allow communities to make an immediate positive impact on their local neighbourhoods
Encourage people to connect with those they may otherwise not engage with and help foster a sense of community and local pride
The development of Cleanup Hubs comes against the backdrop of 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) which will see leaders from across the world gather to discuss the impact of climate change on our planet.
CleanupUK Chief Executive George Monck says, “We know that all of us can make an extraordinary impact on society and litter-picking is a great example of that.
“By coming together, local people can prevent harmful litter infiltrating parks and entering our rivers and waterways, all whilst building a stronger sense of community and having fun.”
A full list of current CleanupUK Hubs is below:
The Wharton Annexe, TS24 8NS
Kilmarnock Children’s Centre, TS25 3NU
Jellystone Park, TS4 2SL Belle Vue Community Sports & Youth Centre, TS25 1QU
